Look alive with Seventy-Five!
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Look alive with Seventy-Five!
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Dear ’mates: As usual, there’s an overabundance of good stuff to piece together this month. (I can’t believe I get paid to do this. Oh wait, that’s right – I don’t get paid! No problem, because the great Class of ’75 makes it quite easy.) David Gough kicks off our column: <photo 75#1: “35 years later. Steve Hill is Afghanistan-bound”> Thought I would send you news on one of our classmates now in Kabul doing work for the good guys. Steve Hill has been working for HUD many years following his retirement from the Navy. The State Department needed a volunteer from HUD with a certain knowledge base and experience so Steve volunteered to spend a year in Kabul. A few of us got together for dinner at the USNA O-Club to send him off on June 4 (our 35th anniversary). The photo shows (left to right): Steve Rogness, Adm Kirk Donald, Nancy Gough, David Gough, Diane Donald, Steve Hill and Mary Ellen Hill. Nancy created a ditty for Steve that she put on a card showing a goat fight in Afghanistan. Naturally, she placed an N-star on one of the goats.
MR. HILL BUTTS HEADS OVER AFGHANISTAN (Sung to the tune of “The Goat is Old and Gnarly”)
Mr. Hill is tough and gnarly and he’s from the best Boat School. He's gonna take the bacon from the Taliban mountain mule. He's got a HUDucation and he's brimmin' full of fight. Soon Steve will feed on Al-Qaeda mule at night. Kabul, Kabul, call the doctor, Kabul, Kabul, call the doctor, Kabul, Kabul, call the doctor, You're all in, down, and . . . . Whoa, Bin Laden, found any new recruits today? No? Deep Six! Kabul, Kabul, call the doctor. You're all in, down, and out!
Here is Steve’s first e-mail from in country:
Greetings from Afghanistan—I’ve been here in beautiful Kabul a couple of weeks now and I’m into a sort of routine. In many respects it’s been similar to my experience in Iraq, but there are differences. The Baghdad Green Zone was a much more sprawling place with a lot more people. The military and personal security contractors seemed to overrun it. The compound here has much more of an Embassy feel to it, kind of a closed-in community. I’m working in an office in the Embassy, squeezed in with four others. I’ve made the transition well and I’m glad to be sleeping through the night. I’m not quite sure what it is about the body clock, but it takes about a week for the internal rhythm to synchronize and you’re able to sleep through the night. It has been interesting; I’m sharing a ‘hooch’ (essentially a trailer) with another new arrival. Summer is the traditional time period when State Department moves it people around. So until all the expected departees actually leave, it looks like I’ll be sharing living accommodations. My roommate’s a young Foreign Service Officer. Work hours are long and the issues are similar to what I encountered in Iraq. General Petraeus is expected to arrive today I believe and I’m sure that will shake things up. Today’s a Friday and that’s like a Saturday so everybody is taking it slow, the calm before the storm. I did a couple of loads of laundry this morning. I know that would make Mary Ellen proud.
Carl Klee (with the assistance of Rick Schwarting and Chris Cikanovich) is up next with a report from the Navy League Sea Air Space Exposition in early May. It was like a mini-Class of 1975 reunion. Three of our flag classmates were on panels—Jon Greenert, Barry McCullough, and Bill Shannon. Many more were exhibitors with the defense contractors—except Brian Schires and me. We are on the Board of Directors of the National Capital Council of the Navy League, which sponsors the exposition. ’75 sightings included Chick Cikanovich, Mark Milliken, Rick Schwarting, Tim Heely, Jack Doherty, Greg Hoffman, Terry Blake, Dave Duffie, Tom Davilli, and Steve House. Bill Shannon and I closed down the International Maritime Reception. I told Bill that ’75 had to lose the reputation of closing down these types of events. I escorted Kirk and Diane Donald at the cocktail reception before the black tie dinner. Chris Cikanovich wins the Coveted Scribe’s Award this month. (As you recall, the award winner is entitled to all the Abita Ambers he cares to drink when visiting us in Florida. Airfare not included.) Actually, the Rolls-Royce publicity staff should be the winners. They took these great shots. Chick wanted to prove that the Flower Children don’t always walk around in shorts and sandals. <photo 75#2: “VADM Terry Blake with Nan, Chris and Diane Cikanovich, RADM Steve and Mary Ellen Talson (Berkeley ’75). Nan and Mary Ellen are sisters.”>
<photo 75#3: “Kirk, Diane x2, and Chris”> <photo 75#4: “RADM Tim Heely and Cherie with Diane and Chris”>
Tom Donaldson is now president of Energetics Technology Center in LaPlata MD. Debbie rented their AZ house and moved to MD in July. Tom and Debbie are thrilled to be back on the same coast as son Alex (USNA ’13) and daughter Krista (and granddaughters). Plus, son Thomas is doing a summer computer security internship in the DC area. Patti and Mike Thumm were presented the annual “Hero Award” by the Greater Southern Maryland Chapter of the USNAAA for their devoted service to the chapter and to USNA. <photo 75#5: “Marc Purcell on Memorial Day”>
JJ Cuff’s thoughts on I-Day, 2010:
If you like aviation history and ocean-going technology, get yourself a copy of The Deep-Sea Quest for Amelia Earhart by Dave Jourdan ’76. It’s a great journal of the trials of deep-sea exploration, and the book itself is beautiful. By the time you read this Shipmate, we will be just weeks away from the fantastic 35th Reunion. I really do hope to see many of you in Annapolis on October 30th! --- ’75 Sir! Larry |
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